Martha Chops Cabbage -- Anchor Adds Pepper

NAMES & FACES

Stock market news intruded on Martha Stewart's regular appearance Tuesday on CBS' The Early Show to produce the strangest cooking segment in television history.

As anchor Jane Clayson recounted the story of "our good friend Martha Stewart" selling shares in ImClone Systems and fighting allegations of insider trading, the homemaking expert could be heard chopping cabbage.

When Clayson finished the lengthy saga, Stewart said, "We're going to make salad."

But under the odd circumstances, Clayson was determined to ask about the allegations. "Many people are involved in this whole investigation, and I'm just not at liberty at this time to make any comments," Stewart said.

Stewart, a weekly contributor to the CBS show, continued cutting cabbage as Clayson asked whether the homemaking icon was worried that the actions of her broker, suspended last week by Merrill Lynch, could hurt her.

"I think this will all be resolved in the very near future, and I will be exonerated of this ridiculousness," Stewart replied.

Stewart noted that through her career she had been the subject of favorable and unfavorable reporting and was concentrating on her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. "I want to focus on my salad," Stewart said.

But Clayson had another question about what the stock story was doing to Stewart, a former model. "I don't want to be on any covers of any newspapers for a long, long time," she said. "That's the story."

Then they made a chicken and cabbage salad. "It's a very valuable salad to have in your repertoire," Stewart said.

The segment was a bizarre example of how morning news programs mix news and lighter fare.

"We're a news program. We couldn't have her on without asking the questions," CBS spokeswoman Sandy Genelius said. "She knew we were going to ask her questions."